cost

Gemini is capable of a lot from your mobile. And at no cost

by

The Android operating system (and any of its ROMs) has always given its users countless options for everything, always with the same goal: to make their experience as comfortable as possible. For more than a year now, that includes artificial intelligence with an absolute protagonist: Gemini. Google’s AI, a natural substitute for its Assistant, is a very versatile tool that can help us in our daily lives. Everything happens by holding down the side button of the device and we will have it working on the screen, all without forgetting that it is a function at no cost. Let’s review some of the things we can expect from this artificial intelligence. With Gemini you can do everything (and effortlessly) As we say, Gemini is capable of many and quite diverse things, although its key point is that He does it in a very natural way. The easiest way to see this is if you need to do a quick search on the Internet: you activate Gemini, ask it a question in normal language and in a few seconds you will have an answer. But there is more. Google’s AI is also great for activating reminders or alarms without having to go to any application or having to waste a little of our time writing anything. Besides, It also handles complex tasks very well. In one go you can, for example, create a reminder for a reservation at a restaurant and send a message to someone to tell them that you will meet there. With the ‘Connected Applications’ function, in fact, we can also ask Gemini questions about an app that we have on the screen without having to open and close it (since for that we can invoke this AI by holding down the side button). turn of Gemini Live. This Gemini function allows us have conversations with the AI ​​to get ideasall without having to write or press any button, always promoting that idea of ​​naturalness that we mentioned above. This function also allows us to activate the mobile camera and ask it about a set of clothes or a set of tools, for example. We can also do the same, but sharing the screen with Gemini Live. Finally, we also have Nano Banana available, an image generation tool which is not only fast and works very precisely, but is there at no cost (like the rest of Gemini’s tools). All these Android phones are discounted and give direct access to Gemini If you have an Android phone, you can download the Gemini app and use it from there without any problem. Now, below we offer you some alternatives with this operating system that may interest you to enjoy everything that this AI offers by just pressing the side button and what we have at a good price in MediaMarkt. Galaxy S25 Ultra As one of the most outstanding options we have the Galaxy S25 Ultrawinner of the Xataka award for best super high-end mobile this 2025. A round device in every sense: brutal 6.9-inch screen (with QHD+ resolution), plenty of power thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and a very complete camera system. All without forgetting that it has seven years of guaranteed updates and very good autonomy. comes out for 1,199 euros in its 512 GB version. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (512GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Vivo V50 Lite If we are looking for a cheaper alternative and prioritize autonomy, we have this Vivo V50 Lite. Despite having a quite attractive price (it costs 209 euros with 256 GB of storage), has a huge 6,500 mAh battery. Despite its size, its thickness is quite contained, since it is 7.79 millimeters. It also stands out for its 6.77-inch P-OLED screen with 120 Hz and powerful speakers ideal for enjoying movies and series. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel 10 Pro The purest Android experience is going to be offered to us by this Google Pixel 10 Pro. This is not the only thing that stands out about it, obviously, since it is a very complete device with a very good 6.3-inch screen, great performance and a very balanced triple camera system. It’s loaded with AI, it also has seven years of guaranteed updates and right now we have it available for 899 euros. Google Pixel 10 Pro (128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi 14T Xiaomi also has several very interesting proposals like this one Xiaomi 14T. It is a device that is currently in a very interesting price range (we can get it for 349 euros) and stands out for an AMOLED screen with 1.5K resolution, MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chip and 5,000 mAh battery. In addition, its camera system performs at a good level and is compatible with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Honor 400 Lite We close this selection of phones with the Honor 400 Lite. It stands out for its 6.7-inch screen and for having a dual camera system where its 108 megapixel main sensor stands out. Its battery is 5,230 mAh, capable of offering good autonomy. If our budget is tight, this is 229 euros It’s very interesting. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links These are just a few examples of phones with Gemini available from the side button. If you are looking for something else, you can take a look. to the complete MediaMarkt catalog. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Amanz on UnsplashSamsung, Google, Vivo, Honor, Xiaomi In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | The best quality-price mobiles. Their analyzes and videos are here

OpenAI needs a lot of money. And to keep giving it to them, they are promising things that cost even more money.

by

That OpenAI is in trouble is something we’ve been talking about from long agobut the last few weeks have aggravated the situation even more if possible. The company continues burning money like there’s no tomorrow and the income does not match. OpenAI needs investors and to justify those investments it needs to diversify into new markets. It’s going to be very difficult. The problem. On the one hand we have an OpenAI that dominated the AI ​​chatbot market with ChatGPT, but no longer enjoys the technological advantage it used to. Sam Altman himself acknowledged in an internal email that Google was technologically catching up with them with Gemini 3 and user figures indicate that Gemini is getting dangerously close, with 650,000 monthly users in front of the 800,000 weekly ChatGPT users. Losing the market leadership they themselves created would be a serious problem, but unfortunately for OpenAI, it is not the only one. The other problem. OpenAI’s spending projections for the next eight years are $1.4 trillion, said by Sam Altman himself. Let’s pause: 1.4 European billion, that is, 1,400,000,000,000. Thirteen figures, that’s nothing. To justify those astronomical investments, Altman talks about getting into robotics, cloud computing services and the highly anticipated (although nothing concrete) personal device designed by Jony Ive and which It will be “the iPhone of AI”. It sounds good, the problem is that at the moment OpenAI does not have the infrastructure and it does not say how it plans to compete in these markets. The OpenAI business. The barrier to entry to create an AI chatbot in 2022, when ChatGPT came out, was much lower than that presented by the sectors with which OpenAI is flirting. In the Wall Street Journal newsletter They point out something key: they are markets with fierce competition and huge companies that have been well established for years. Let’s look at the panorama they face: Robotics: Humanoid robots are still a developing segment and we have doubts that it becomes mainstreambut already There are many companies competing to put a robotic butler in our home. That OpenAI would manufacture its own robots seems completely unlikely because they do not have the infrastructure and it would cost them a fortune, something they do not have. The most feasible scenario would be to work with a robotics company to integrate their AI. In the United States it would have to compete with Figure and Tesla, both with their own AI. In China, with Unitree and Deep Robotics. Complicated. Cloud computing: getting computing power is another of OpenAI’s problems and the center of its multi-million dollar deals with amazon, NVIDIA either amd to mention a few. Setting up your own business in the cloud would mean competing with giants like Microsoft, Google or Amazon, who are also your own partners and you need them. Not to mention that Personal devices: It is the sector in which they have a more concrete plan, and yet we hardly know anything about this supposed “iPhone of AI”, a device so revolutionary that the smartphone would be a thing of the past, or so Ive and Altman said. We have not seen a single image of the device and the project has been delayedbut assuming OpenAI ends up launching it, it has the difficult task of convincing the world that it is better than a smartphone. Humane didn’t make it. For now it works for them. In October OpenAI closed a share sale that raised its valuation to $500 billionmaking it the most valuable startup in the world. It is an astronomical figure especially considering that the company’s expenses are also astronomical; only in the last quarter They lost a whopping 11.5 billion dollars. Investors have remained confident until now, the question is how long the party will continue. OpenAI needs it to last several years to be able to have that business that is going to cost 1.4 billion to build. Images | Wikipedia In Xataka | We have reached a point where not even the CEOs of Google or Microsoft deny that we have an AI bubble

What is this subscription, what does it include and how much does it cost in Spain?

by

Let’s tell you what it is the price and features of the subscription AI Plus from Google. This is a lower subscription than Google AI Pro, which retains things like access to the most advanced models of Geminibut cut back on the use of other additional tools. This is a movement similar to that of ChatGPT Gowith which Google tries to make the artificial intelligence payment. Because 20 euro subscriptions are excessive for most users, so they have decided to try a much lower one. We will tell you the characteristics and comparison of the other subscription. What is Google AI Plus Google AI Plus is the name of the cheapest subscription to use paid Gemini. Gemini is the company’s artificial intelligence, and its free version is quite limited in terms of access to more advanced and powerful models. The solution if you want greater access to Google’s most powerful AI is to pay, and this is a subscription that seeks to be more affordable. Google initially created two paid subscriptions. For “ordinary” people it offered AI Pro with a price of 22 euros per month, and for more advanced users another price of 275 euros per month. Clearly, even the “cheapest” one was excessive for most users, so they decided to create one more step, a cheaper subscription. By paying this subscription you will have access to Gemini 3 Pro or the new models that arrive in the future. Access will not be any more limited than the most expensive subscription, but wider than in the free version. You’ll also have access to AI interactions with Gmail and other Google services, video creation, and more. Google AI Plus vs AI Pro Google AI Plus Google AI Pro Gemini App Access to Gemini 3 Pro, and Deep Research in 3 Pro. Videos are also generated with limited access to Veo 3.1 Greater access to Gemini 3 Pro, and Deep Research on 3 Pro. Videos are also generated with limited access to Veo 3.1 flow Access to the AI ​​tool for film creation, being able to create scenes and stories, with limited access to Veo 3.1 Greater access to the AI ​​tool for film creation, being able to create scenes and stories, with limited access to Veo 3.1 Whisk More complete access to creating videos from images with Veo 3. Expanded access to creating videos from images with Veo 3. Credits 200 monthly AI credits for Flow and Whisk 1,000 monthly AI credits for Flow and Whisk Notebooklm Access to the research and writing assistant with expanded access to audio summaries, notebooks, and other resources. Greater access to the research and writing assistant with 5x more audio summaries, notebooks, and other resources. Gemini in google apps Access Gemini directly in Gmail, Docs, and Google apps. Access Gemini directly in Gmail, Docs, and Google apps. Also to Vids. Google Home Premium Standard No 30 days of Gemini event and feature history Gemini Code Assist and Gemini CLI No More model requests per day on Flash and Pro models in Gemini CLI and Gemini Code Assist IDE extensions Jules No Higher limits when using Jules, the asynchronous scheduling agent for software developers created by Google Storage 200 GB of total storage in your Google account, to use in Drive, Gmail or Photos 2 TB of total storage in your Google account, to use in Drive, Gmail or Photos Price 7.99 euros per month 21.99 euros per month As you can see, the 8 euro subscription already gives you access to Gemini 3 Pro and Deep Research, as well as video generation with Veo 3.1. The more expensive version has broader limits of use, but the economical one is already an interesting gateway, also for creating videos from images. One of the differences is seen in the number of monthly credits for Flow and Whiskwhich is five times higher than the most expensive subscription. The same thing happens with NotebookLM, which has five times more limits in the Pro version, but in the Plus you already have access. The same thing also happens with the possibility of using Gemini in Google apps, such as Gmail or documents, you have it in both subscriptions. The main difference comes with three additional tools. The most economical subscription does not include the additional benefits of using Gemini on your smart speakersuch as a greater history of events and functions. You also don’t have access to special options for creating code or scheduling agents. For this you will have to go to the Pro subscription at least. There is also a difference in storage that is added to your Google account. In the Pro version it is still 2 TB, but in the Plus you already have 200 GB, which is more than the 15 GB that Google gives you for free. Google AI Plus Price Google AI Plus is priced at 7.99 euros per month. There may be times when there is a temporary promotion, such as two months at 3.99 euros and then return to the normal subscription. But the full price is eight euros per month. In Xataka Basics | The best prompts to save hours of work and do your tasks with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or other artificial intelligence

SpaceX changed the space economy. Now he wants to do the same with the cost of satellites

by

The cost of launching cargo into space was, for years, one of the great limits of the aerospace industry. LaNASA documents in several works, including the analyzes of Harry W. Jonesthat during the last decades of the 20th century many pitchers moved in a typical range of between 10,000 and more than 20,000 dollars per kilowith an average cost of around $18,500/kg in low orbit, with the space shuttle far above due to its complexity and operating expense. It was not just the price of the launch systems, but of a model based on disposable components, manual processes and highly specialized operations. The situation remained stable for decades, until SpaceX decided to rethink how the economics of orbital launch should work. Instead of assuming these costs as inevitable, the company opted to reuse stages, optimize processes and manufacture its own engines and systems from scratch. This combination allowed the price per kilo to be reduced to unprecedented levels, although the change did not occur immediately. What is relevant is that, for the first time, a private actor demonstrated that launches could be much cheaper and that price did not have to be a structural barrier for the industry. When launch is no longer the limit, attention shifts to satellites The resulting prices began to change behavior in the sector. With Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, the cost per kilo became in the range of 3,000 to 1,500 dollars, according to NASA calculations based on catalog prices. These figures not only mark a reduction, but a turning point: for the first time, companies, institutions and even governments could rethink the design of missions knowing that launch was no longer the main economic barrier. From there a question arose that until then had no answer: if the trip had been made cheaper, what would happen to what was sent into space? The traditional satellite model was built on the idea of ​​optimizing each unit. It was not important to produce many, but to produce one that could operate for years, with high capacity and low probability of failure. Manufacturers and operators were investing in complex systems, with long development cycles, exhaustive testing and specialized structures to fulfill specific and prolonged missions. This strategy responded to an environment in which launch was so costly and infrequent that it was more profitable to prioritize reliability and durability than to think about scalability or rapid replenishment. One of the first companies to help change this approach was OneWeb, that introduced a manufacturing model designed for scale. Instead of ordering each satellite as an individual piece, the company designed a common architecture and partnered with Airbus to produce repeatable unitswith standardized processes and shorter manufacturing times. The plant installed in Florida in 2019 was presented as the first factory of satellite serial production on a large scale, with two lines capable of removing up to two units a day. It was not about building a better satellite, but about building many. SpaceX took the satellite constellation idea and turned it into its own industrial system. With Starlink, it not only replicated the use of mass-produced satellites, but also linked that production to its launch capacity with Falcon 9, operated by the company itself. This integration allowed the deployment to be accelerated without depending on external release windows or commercial suppliers. The constellation began to grow at an unprecedented rate and, in a few years, it vastly surpassed any other similar project in number and pace. The difference was not only in manufacturing satellites, but in being able to launch them at will. Although OneWeb was one of the first players to apply industrial logic to satellite manufacturing, its constellation has grown at a very different pace than Starlink. At the end of 2025, OneWeb has around 648 satellites in orbit, while SpaceX exceeds 8,000 operational satellitesaccording to the most recent data published by orbital monitoring firms. The difference is not only due to the number of launches, but also to the mode of production. According to an economic analysis published in 2025the estimated manufacturing cost of OneWeb satellites is around $14,000 per kilo, compared to approximately $2,500 per kilo for Starlink satellites. These figures reflect a gap that has more to do with the integration model than with the technology itself. The estimated manufacturing cost of OneWeb satellites is around $14,000 per kilo, compared to approximately $2,500 per kilo for Starlink satellites. The reaction of the sector did not take long to arrive. With the advancement of Starlink, both companies and public institutions Similar projects began to be considered based on constellations with a high number of satellites and sustained deployments. Amazon launched KuiperEutelsat and OneWeb reinforced their alliance to maintain presence in the market and the European Union approved the IRIS2 program with institutional support.China is also working on its own large systems. It is not just about competing in numbers, but about accepting that scale and replacement capacity are part of the new spatial model. When the satellite becomes a replicable product, the way of planning its presence in orbit also changes. It is no longer about launching a mission and hoping it works for as long as possible, but rather about building a structure that can grow, modernize and replace units regularly. The satellite becomes a component of a network, not the center of the mission. This logic favors models based on scalability and continuous replacement, similar to those of other technological infrastructures. Space stops being a destination and becomes a platform. SpaceX demonstrated that the cost of the launch was not a technical limit, but rather a model one. Now it is trying to apply that same logic to satellites, with an approach based on scale, continuous manufacturing and integration with its own launch systems. The result is not only a larger constellation, but a different way of understanding what it means. operate in orbit. The question is no longer how much it costs to get to space, but who can … Read more

The patch to avoid another massive blackout is going to cost us 731 million euros. Iberdrola has already begun to collect it

by

The blackout on April 28 did not come free, and we consumers are going to pay for it. Iberdrola has confirmed that the extra cost caused by the “reinforced mode” that was activated after the massive blackout. And everything indicates that the rest of the electric companies will follow in their footsteps. what has happened. They tell it in The World. Until now, the impact of the blackout on the bill had been limited because the CNMC intervened so that the electricity companies could not modify the price for customers who have contracted fixed rates. FACUA also issued a statement warning that rates could not be raised if it did not appear in the contract. The blackout was more than six months ago, more than enough time for many free market contracts to have been renewed. This has given Iberdrola the opportunity to introduce clauses that allow them to pass the cost on to customers. Reinforced mode After the blackout, the so-called “reinforced mode” was activated. This adjustment involves intervening in the market to incorporate more conventional energy (gas, hydroelectric and nuclear) and limiting the entry of renewables with the aim of avoiding voltage failures. And of course, these energies are more expensive, in addition to requiring more auxiliary services to stabilize the network. The problem is that this It started as a patch after the blackout, but it has become the new normal which remains half a year later. The cost. It covers from the blackout until September and amounts to 210 million euros distributed between Spain and Portugal. Of this sum, Spain assumes the majority, with 180 million euros. Iberdrola regrets that the change in the system by Red Eléctrica is entailing an extra cost that “affects our results” and they hope to transfer 70% of this amount to their clients before the end of the year. Not just Iberdrola. Nothing prevents the rest of the electricity marketers from following in Iberdrola’s footsteps. According to El Mundo, the total cost of the reinforced mode in these six months amounts to 731 million euros and it looks like it will remain active for longer, so this amount will increase. The CNMC warns that any change in contract prices must be communicated transparently. From one pocket to another. In the Iberian Peninsula there are five nuclear power plants, 1,300 hydroelectric plants and some 200 gas plants. These conventional (non-renewable) energy plants are providing more energy as long as the boosted mode remains active and they are receiving more income for it. What is striking is that they mostly belong to private companies such as Iberdrola, Naturgy either Endesawho are the ones who will end up increasing the price of the invoice. Images | Wikipedia In Xataka | Five months later we continue to discover things about the blackout in Spain. And the news is getting worse for Europe

Science has found the secret of the giant tomato, but it may be at the cost of destroying its good flavor

by

Imagine being able to take a small, bitter, wild eggplant and with a single genetic tweak, turn it into a very different variety, much larger and ready for the market. This, it seems something out of a science fiction movieit may be a reality that is getting closer, as one pointed out published study in the magazine Nature who deciphered the genetic “instruction manual” of the entire eggplant family and also the tomato. The problem. We are currently living in a time in which the climate is changing radically. with increases in temperatures or reduction in rainfall that reach our fields. This forces us to have a ‘plan B’ in the bedroom that allows us to continue having crops efficiently and to be able to feed an entire population despite there being a climate decline. And genetics in this case is preparing for it with different changes. The agriculture of the genetically modified foods is starting to gain strength. The fact of modifying the seed of a fruit so that it comes out with significant improvements, such as being juicier, larger or more efficient, is the future of agri-food engineering. And all to be able to respond to an increasingly growing demand for food, but with a space suitable for it that is smaller. A commitment to flavor. But these genetic alterations raise many questions. The goal right now is to have fat tomatoes or eggplants that are also very elongated but without thinking about anything else. If we eat a tomato on many occasions what we want is for it to be juicy and good. But genetic modification may overlooks these types of essential components to be more ‘productive’ and nutritious. But the objective in this case of the investigation that is currently being carried out is on size. And if one tomato ‘from the future’ can be equivalent to three ‘current’ ones, the truth is that we will have taken a very important step. And this is already being seen. The investigation. An international team of scientists has created the first “pangenome“of the genus Solanum. This is not only the tomato and eggplant family, but also the potato and dozens of other crops consumed locally around the world, and which opens the door to a great evolution in the field of food and the agri-food industry. The objective. For the researchers, the objective was quite clear from the first moment: to know why a gene that produces a desirable trait, such as having a larger fruit in a tomato, does not work when tried to apply it to an eggplant. The answer in this case is quite clear: genetic redundancy. The obstacle. In this case, scientists saw that the main obstacle to this genetic modification not being applied was in gene duplications, known as paralogues. In order to understand this concept we can imagine the light in a room that would be our phenotype and that in order to turn it off we need to press two switches that control it. These switches are what we know as paralogs, and in order to turn off the light it would be necessary to deactivate both. This is what happens in many species, which have created ‘backup copies’ of their switches so that turning off just one would do absolutely nothing and would not materialize in their phenotype, such as their size. That is why this team analyzed 22 species of Solanum and discovered that, although the overall structure of chromosomes is similar, thousands of key genes have undergone different variations throughout their evolution. The brake gene. Scientists have long known that a gene called CLAVATA3 (CLV3) is the master regulator of fruit size in tomatoes. Its function is, basically, to act as a brake. It tells stem cells at the plant’s growing points (the meristems) when to stop dividing. Thus, when this gene is mutated or ‘off’ the brake is released and the plate produces more cells, resulting in larger flowers with more seed compartments and also a much larger fruit. And here is the key to how a tomato will end up being domesticated. The problem is that the tomato has an additional “handbrake”, which is a paralogous gene called CLE9. In this way, even if we alter CLV3, it will not have its full effect, since it will have this extra switch that must also be altered. CRISPR. It is a genetic ‘editing weapon’ that will allow us to achieve the effect we want and cut the brake on CLV3 so that the fruits can evolve. The scientists ran the tests on the African eggplant, a species that lost its CLE9 handbrake a long time ago, but has a functional copy of CLV3. When scientists used CRISPR to deactivate that only functional copy, the result was massive and uncontrolled growth, demonstrating that that gene was the only brake he had left. In another experiment, we used S.prinophyllum that did not have CLE9, but did have two units of CLV3 (CLV3a and CLV3b). In this case, when the researchers edited a single copy, the brake was weakened and the plant produced fruits with more lobes and therefore slightly larger fruits. But when they removed the two brakes, uncontrolled growth was seen again. The surprise find. While research was being carried out along these lines, experts saw something they did not expect: a completely different gene on chromosome 2 called SaetSCPL25-like acted as the main size “switch” in the African eggplant. Something that responded to a small natural mutation of this gene that was associated with the additional locules per fruit. To check this, they did the experiment in reverse. They took this new gene and they cracked it with CRISPR on a standard tomato. The result in this case is that fruits were produced with more locules, that is, they were much larger. In this way, the researchers had found a second genetic path to increase the size of the fruit in addition to breaking its brakes. … Read more

Norway promised them happiness with the world’s first megatunnel for ships. Until he saw how much it was going to cost him

by

Thousands of kilometers of sinuous coasts, currents, storms and devilish geography. Norway does not make it easy for sailors who ply its coastline every day loaded with goods, fish or passengers. Hence, the country has been talking for some time about undertaking an ambitious work at one of its points more sensitive, the Stad peninsula. The idea is to cross the tongue of land with a tunnel almost two kilometers long, designed specifically for the passage of boats. The problem is that estimates of its cost have not stopped growing in recent years and that has led the Government to take a step back. His idea is to put the project in the drawer. Another thingOf course, Parliament is going to allow it. A boat tunnel? That’s how it is. It sounds strange, and it’s normal. After all the Stad tunnel It is an unusual infrastructure, the first underground road designed for boats. What Norway is proposing to do is open a large navigable canal of 1.7kmalmost 50 m high (the navigable space will be somewhat less) and more than 30 m wide to cross the Stad peninsula, in the province of vestlandwest of the country. Building it would require between four years of works. That they want to open right in Vestland is no coincidence. If the Stad peninsula stands out for something, it is because of its poor conditions for sailors: it is exposed to the inclemencies and gusts of wind of the Stadhavet Sea, with no nearby islands to cushion it, and the currents do not make it easy for sailors either. In the web of the project, it is recalled that the Kråkenes station, south of Stad, is the one that records the most stormy days: some years there are more than a hundred. And does a tunnel solve it? The same website Remember that in Stad there is intense maritime traffic, both Norwegian and foreign ships, dedicated to fishing, commerce, aquaculture, naval and tourism. With the underground canal, Norway wants to offer them several advantages: time savings and more security, with all the advantages that this can bring for anyone who depends on ships. Furthermore, supporters of the project defend that with “a safer and more efficient step” maritime transport will increase, removing trucks from the roads. Whether its promises are more or less convincing, the undeniable thing is that the Stad tunnel is nothing new. TO late 19th century There was already talk of crossing the peninsula with a subway, although the approach has not always been exactly the same. At one time they even opted for a railway pipeline. The idea has remained on the table with twists and turns in recent years until in 2013 It finally managed to sneak into the National Transportation Plan. In 2017 the tunnel seemed a little closer and in 2021 started to talk of the imminent start of the works. In fact, it is estimated that a little more than 30 million dollars in land purchases and feasibility studies to give it shape. Are you on track then? Not at all. If the work sounds ambitious it is because it really is. And that usually entails something more than technical complications: money. Big money. Millions and millions of Swedish crowns. An amount that has also increased with the passage of time, complicating its viability. Maritime Executive remember that at the time there was talk of 325 million dollars and in 2023 the figure had skyrocketed to 690 million. A few days ago NRK, the Norwegian public radio and television channel, I already needed that the estimated bill is around 9.4 billion crowns, about 780 million dollars. There are means, like one’s own Maritime Executivethat they even refer larger figures. Is that a problem? A few days ago NRK echoed some statements by the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Storewhich reveal that the Government wants to put the project in the drawer. At least for now. The reason has little mystery: its exorbitant cost at a time when the country prefers to invest in other areas. “In the budget proposal we will announce that we abandoned the Stad sea tunnel project,” the leader advanced Norwegian. “The cost will be so high that we feel it is not responsible to move forward with the project.” “We must prioritize and take care of every penny to use the money in the most efficient way possible. That is why we reject this project, we consider that it does not justify such a high expense,” insisted Støre, who cited other priorities, such as health, defense or municipal investment. “It will be so expensive that we consider it irresponsible to continue with the project.” With the option of lowering or renegotiating costs ruled out, the news soon spread to the local press and foreignerwith all kinds of reactions. What reactions? Days after the announcement the Norwegian Coastal Administration published a statement confirming that, within the framework of the 2026 national budget, the Government had decided to “suspend” the tunnel works pending Parliament’s ruling. The agency warned that, among other issues, this stoppage will also affect the bidding for works. An important notice considering that you had already received offers from three construction companies and expected to close the contract this year to start the works (five years) in 2026. The defenders of the tunnel have been more emphatic, speaking of “a hard blow” and an “irresponsible decision.” “More than 500 companies from the fishing industry and shipping to industry, tourism and aquaculture have signed the petition for the construction of the tunnel,” remember. “These represent thousands of jobs and billions in revenue.” What will happen now? Good question. Although it is not easy to answer it. Støre’s announcement was framed in the presentation of the 2026 state accounts, which left some questions raised. After all, as NRK herself recalled As the news progresses, the prime minister’s party, the Labor Party, does not have a majority in the Storting (Parliament of Norway), so … Read more

An AIM-9X missile cost a million dollars to tear down a Russian drone. Ukraine has found the solution for 2,000 dollars

by

For Moscow, the Shahed drones They have been a cheap and scalable resource to wear out the Ukrainian defenses, first thrown into small batches and later in waves at greater heightoutside the reach of machine guns and cannons. For kyiv, the challenge has been not only to neutralize those swarms, but do it Without ruined: Each Shahed forced to shoot missile prices missiles, a long -term ruinous equation. This cost asymmetry forced Ukraine to accelerate innovation giving rise to a new air defense paradigm. The birth of something new. In the heavens of Ukraine an unexpected weapon has emerged against the incessant waves of Russian drones: the low cost interceptors Designed in Kyiv. Among them stand out The stinga projectile quadcopter capable of exceeding 315 km/hyred to destroy shaheds and gerberas in flight. Its tiny silhouette and acute sound contrast with the great traditional anti -aircraft systems, and their initial success (with hundreds of enemy drones demolished in a few months) demonstrates that it is possible to neutralize mass threats with fast and cheap solutions. Companies Like Wild Hornetsin collaboration with the Brave1 government platformThey have turned accelerated innovation into the country’s aerial survival axis. The cost war. The great challenge is not just technician, but economic. A Shahed drone costs $ 35,000, while The AIM-9Xused by systems Like Nasams To tear them down, it exceeds million per unit. This imbalance placed Ukraine already its allies in a clear financial disadvantage: each interception was tens of times more expensive than the Russian attack itself. The stinghowever, costs just $ 2,100 and acts as a suicide drone when impacting directly against the objective. The difference is abysmal: by the price of a single AIM-9x they can be manufactured Almost five hundred stinga proportion that explains why Kyiv considers its massive deployment vital to resist bombings of up to 800 drones in a single night. Accelerated innovation. The Ukrainian advantage does not only reside in the unit cost, but in the Radaptation apidity. Each new model responds to the last Russian tactic, either Shaheds to greater altitude, more numerous swarms or reaction versions. Engineers have gone from cannons and machine guns on land interceptors capable of operating partially autonomouslyand even experiences with totally automatic systems that detect, pursue and destroy without direct human intervention. This daily iteration capacity, fueled by the Front feedback, has turned Ukraine into a War laboratory unprecedented aerial. Europe and the lesson. The recent incursion of 21 Russian drones in Poland forced F-35 to deploy that used missiles of very high value to demolish just four devices. The episode has triggered European interest in Ukrainian solutions, which offer A “Drones Wall” much cheaper and scalable than any traditional system. German companies and other countries already Test interceptors Inspired by kyiv, aware that their current defenses are not prepared for cheap and massive waves. For Europe, the lesson is clear: the aerial defense of the future cannot be based on shooting millions from millions against objectives of a few thousand. New paradigm. The irruption of interceptors Like Sting It reflects a paradigm shift. What was previously resolved with very expensive static and arsenal systems now requires flexible, economical and serial solutions. Ukraine, pressured by the urgency of surviving, has made its way Towards a model in which the cost, speed and constant innovation weigh as much as pure technology. If you get displayed Thousands of daily interceptorsnot only will it reinforce its immediate defense, but it will have seated the foundations of a new military approach that will force NATO to rethink their strategy and to abandon the logic of the “Millonada” worn in each missile in front of an enemy that bets on the saturation and wear. Image | Wild Hornets/Telegram In Xataka | In a crucial Ukraine agreement he has given the US his best weapon. In return he has received something unpublished: a map to knock Russia In Xataka | Something has gone out wrong in Ukraine. So much, that the drone war has reached the most unexpected place: Türkiye

The “best mechanic in Spain” says that Low Cost gasoline is of worse quality than the premium. Reality is much more complex

by

In the long term, fuel Low Cost “It can cause breakdowns.” We do not say it, says Carlos Pérez, recognized as “best mechanic in Spain” in an interview with Canal Moveo de The avant -garde. And we don’t give it because, simply, there is no reasons to say it. In fact, Carlos Pérez himself emphasizes that “all gasoline ultimately come from the same wholesale suppliers.” So what happens? Who. As we say, one of the spaces that The avant -garde He dedicates to the mobility sector has interviewed Carlos Pérez, known on the Internet as “the best mechanic in Spain.” The title is no invention, among the different awards he has obtained we find the one delivered by The workshop community who are focused on communication within the post -sales market. Since then, Pérez has granted various interviews to different media in which he has been explained about What are the most reliable brandswhat are they the car models that recommend Or, simply, which is the best gasoline to use. Yes, but. And here comes the controversy. In his statements about gasoline to use, Carlos Pérez assured the following to The avant -garde: “Although all gasoline ultimately come from the same wholesale suppliers, the differences are in the additives that each company incorporates. These additives are those that help to keep the feeding system clean and prevent the accumulation of waste in the engine, which can affect the performance and durability of the vehicle. The price can be tempting, but in the long term, the use of fuel That supposes in repairs “ That is, a Yes, but in full rule. According to Pérez, there should be no reason to distrust the cheapest fuels but in the long run “it can cause breakdowns and greater engine wear.” Obviously, the price would not compensate for the expense and headaches of the breakdowns. Same origin. The truth is that in Spain there should be no differences between refuel Low Cost or supposed fuel Premium. Because deep down, the fuel is exactly the same. And this is not much less. In Xataka We already played this topic in 2015. Then we explained that the origin of both fuels is the same: CLH or hydrocarbon logistics company that In 2021 he changed his name to exolum. This receives the fuel from the refineries that are distributed by Spain in the hands of BP, Cepsa Moeve or repsol. This fuel already arrives with quality standards that guarantee a good product. This fuel is maintained in the exolum facilities until it is distributed by the service stations. It is here where the difference between products occurs: additives yes or additives no. The additives. To begin with, the exolum itself already has His own additives (HQ300) For part of the fuel it stores. It is the responsibility of the Marketing in charge of fuel with additives or without them. Obviously, this second is cheaper. What is an additive thinking? In theoryto improve long -term engine and vehicle care. Companies Premium Do you sell that their formulas manage to leave less remains in the engines or allow more kilometers with the same amount of fuel. And is there scientific evidence? Really, none. At least that is what Carles Fité, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Rodrigo Soto, chemical engineering reader, who asked about this same matter, pointed out that “all are equal. I see no difference at this level of analysis.” According to their samples, “they basically contain the same compounds and in the same proportions. Everything comes out very very the same”, in words collected by The confidential. Nor have they found substantial differences in the OCU. In fact, they point out that we are talking more about blind confidence in the effects of additives than on realistic checks: “The effects of additives on engines and gasoline consumption do not seem very verifiable. (…) Prove that an additive lengthens engine life is very difficult, because there is no way to determine how much that same engine would have lasted if that gasoline had not used.” And the secret? The secret is called the economy of scale. Simply, there are two types of business when we talk about service stations. The gas stations Low Cost They can save the customer money because they themselves They already save money on operational costs Of their businesses: they do not usually have employees, they do not invest in R&D to improve those fuels and do not invest in advertising, trusting in the mouth-oreja. On the contrary, gasoline stations Premium They base their business on those additives that generate confidence in the client. But also In formulas to catch you in the following purchase such as loyalty cards or stores that orbit around the suppliers. Also in their Agreements with other companies as insurance companies or large supermarkets. Scams and maintenance. In summary, the quality of the repossed product has much more to do with the maintenance of the service station (which is renewed regularly and does not spend too much time in deposits, for example) and, above all, with complying with the minimum quality standards. The latter should be an endorsement when we repost in Spanish gas stations, however, in recent months the SERVICE STATION SHOWS They have used worse quality fuel and took advantage of great sales at very low prices to subsequently scam the State in the presentation of the VAT tax. This has generated a worse image to the product Low Cost. Photo | BALLENOIL AND BP In Xataka | Diesel or gasoline: what are the differences and which one is better to buy according to your use

The Mercadona Crusade against Home Kitchen is working. The question is what nutritional cost we are accepting it

by

In the last eight months, Mercadona has won seven more tenths in market share and already reaches 27.3%. It is a real barbarity that reaffirms it in the lead and moves it away from its closest competition: Carrefour. But the most striking is not that. The most striking thing is that, According to the dataeverything is because The crusade against the future of the kitchen at home Juan Roig is paying off. We knew that the world has been quitting for decades, what we didn’t know is that this was going to go so fast. What we do not know, in fact, is what consequences all this has in the medium term. Are we putting the foxes to monitor the chicken coop? A future, but now. Because, although Media Spain threw himself on Roig when he assured “in the middle of the 21st century there will be no kitchens”, the truth is that right now more than eight million Spaniards resort to the prepared dishes of the supermarket. In fact, Statistics tell us data That, in the last decades, home cuisine had been in clear decline. Millennials “ate 30% more often in restaurants than any other generation; when they cooked, they spent less time (one hour less than the X generation) and, when they bought, they opted more by prepared meals, pasta and sweets than the rest.” They are USAs, but We can find similar trends in all western countries. There was a small change with pandemic, but things They seem to be returning to their channel. 17 kilos per head. That is The amount of prepared dishes they consumedon average, the Spaniards in 2024. 6.6% more compared to the previous year. And in these data we do not take into account that The tendency not only “translates In a greater offer of prepared dishes, but also in a simplification of fresh products, destined to reduce the time we dedicate to the kitchen. “ The reasons are clear and understandable: According to Kantar consultancy“comfort, lack of time and the increasingly elaborate and healthy proposals by supermarkets” are the factors behind this change. But this is true? I refer, specifically, to “healthy proposals.” And not with respect to traditional precooked dishes, which that (a priori) is evident. But, with respect to the general diet of consumers. That is: this movement is improving our diet or not? The question is pertinent. Above all, because we have the problem of ultra -processed. It is increasingly evident (Ylgreat studies confirm this) that there is a “positive correlation between the consumption of these foods and A list of up to 32 health problems ranging from cardiovascular mortality to depression. “ We talk about an increase of about 50% in the risk of death related to cardiovascular problems, a similar increase in the risk of anxiety and “common” mental health problems, and a 12% increase in the probability of developing type 2 diabetes. Even more The data show An increase of 21% in the risk of death for any cause and one between 40 and 66% of the risk of death by heart attack. The invasion of the defendants. In 2010, ultraprocessed food represented 31.7% of the Spanish diet and 80.4% of all added sugars. That is, the weight of the processed food in our diet tripled between 1990 and 2010 (from 11% to 31.7%). In parallel, the weight of added sugars has gone from 8.4% of our daily energy intake at 13%. It is a serious problem and becoming aware of it has made, as we said, the products are healthier than before. But the emergence of these pre -cooked dishes much more attractive, convenient and accessible raises doubts. Are we facing a new phase of that trend? Will our diet worse? Answers are missing. It is soon to see how all this is affecting (and will affect) the food of citizens. Do not forget that, as we often repeat, not all processed foods They suppose a health risk. But what the historical experience tells us is that we cannot leave everything in the hands of the companies in the sector: without an ambitious regulation and a committed public opinion, the situation can become against us. It is, it seems, the ideal moment to use this boom in favor of public health. Then it will be much more difficult. Image | JJ Melero In Xataka | Juan Roig believes that cooking at home has no future. There are eight million Spaniards who are already giving the right

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.